rules are meant to be violated

to Jacob and Vanessaandthecat

there are some rules
in this world
that just beg
to be violated ...

a stickler for grammar
though I may be,

invention is a friend
to creativity,

as long as you do it
gently
and with style --

who are you little i
could not possibly be
without a little bending
of the convention

Dickinson dismissed --
rejecting her bonnet,
while crafting
a sonnet with a twist

and what kind of fire
would Walt Whitman
have expressed while harnessed
by the day's expectations?

so go ahead,
commit that violation,
as long as you do it 
knowingly ...

Author's Note

Image from Emilydickinson.org - captcha tutoress

Reviews

[Matching Socks]

Lol! :)
Trouble is, I never do it knowingly.
I liked this one.

[Lyn Anderson]

me thinks you are being somewhat disingenuous. You generally have lovely grammar

[Matching Socks]

That's true, I do. :) Thank you for saying so. But I grew up in da hood so when I get together with my lovely family I revert back to da girl from da hood. I just fall back into especially if I'm talking to my brothers and I don't even realize. Crazy eh? :)

In written word though I'm generally ok with the exception of those damn apostrophes that pop up in 'it's' when they're no supposed to. But I blame my ipad for that.

[Lyn Anderson]

tee hee, blame the ipad. duck you autocorrect.

[Matching Socks]

: )
Yup

[Pryde Foltz]

I think consistency throughout the poem wins the day. For me how something sits on the page is almost as important to what is said. Could be a little jarring if it is inconsistent. Clever and well-writ piece here:)

[Lyn Anderson]

Thank you. And I agree, and am pleased that someone who is so good at presenting her work would say so.

[V]

So I found it ;) Interesting take on it. I like the message behind your words or rather in your words which you so clearly pointed out in the last line. A writer who knows about form can violate it in beautiful and great ways.

[Lyn Anderson]

Yes! Thank you for your inspirational reviews -- it's my favourite thing to do in here -- bounce off something someone else writes or says in a review. Weird that you and Jacob should both use the word "violated" since it has such strong connotations.

[V]

It isn't weird for that's exactly what Emily said, we were just citing her ;) Inspiration derives from everywhere which makes it unpredictable but nice at the same time :)

[Lyn Anderson]

Yes, but you both went to exactly the same place at the same time, which I find interesting.

[V]

Yes but writers are kinda alike I got to know here. And Jacob and I have something, a certain kind of thinking in common.
Anyways, I found soulmates here.

[Lyn Anderson]

That is true, isn't it? There are people in here we connect with very quickly, due to our similar thinking.

[V]

Yes more than in real life, at least when it comes to mine. I connect with people here in so much deeper ways than with people I meet personally, it's almost kinda scary at times ^^

[jacob erin-cilberto]

yes, it is scary isn't it? but yes, the connections...strong sometimes, and just total disconnections other times...

i really like this poem...and that is the only image there is of Emily...guess she didn't think she was photogenic...thank you for this poem and both of you for being comrades in violations....:)))

[V]

You're welcome ^^

[Lyn Anderson]

my pleasure. Thanks for stopping in.

[Bacchus]

you're seriously really good at this writing gig.
I'm impressed, again.

[Lyn Anderson]

I am flattered. Thank you. I am enjoying your work as well -- especially the "Of the Walk" poem.

[redzone]

well KL, so you are allowing a little i... i am impressed... lol.. wait did i do a little i unconsciously?? would i do such a think?? me?? no not i... enough she says!!! okay Kl you know i love to tease.. Emily and Walt broke all kinds of conventions and part of the reason they are so well loved i think...

but I must also add if there is a tutoress here at WC it would be you, hands down.. you are kind enough to keep us honest in our writing, grammatically speaking as you do allow for all kinds of fantastical and metaphorical writing.. but when it coems to spelling and those dag apostorphies' well you call us on it every time... ;0)

you know i love you KL...

redzone

[Lyn Anderson]

ee cummings is my personal favourite. And if the non capitalization is deliberate, it is different. There is a difference between making up words and slapping together jibberish, if you know what I mean. And yes, you are too kind, and I enjoy your banter very much.

[redzone]

Wow KL you are saying I'm deliberate and conscious.. nicest compliment I have received all day...